Mr. Bean Complete Bean NOT complete!!

Some time ago, I bought the Mr. Bean: The Complete Bean dvd set.

But now I find out that it's not complete.

And no, not because it doesn't contain the movie "Bean" or the Mr. Bean
animated series.

It's because there's one whole episode of the original tv series missing, which
were included in the episodes when originally broadcast on tv here.

And also, because I have now read that the Mr. Bean tv series was originally
aired in widescreen in the UK (and therefore, I presume composed for
widescreen), and does seem to match UK posters' statements that the UK had
widescreen tv broadcasts about ten years earlier than the U.S. did.

From the headroom on the U.S. releases set, I come to th conclusion that the
U.S. A&E releases of Mr. Bean : The Complete Bean are panned and scanned. and
doesn't include the whole picture.

The statements I read said that that is because A&E specifically requested on
only 4:3 panned and scanned releaseas for the U.S. release of the Mr. Bean:The
Complete Bean dvd set.

Also, while the pilot is supposed to be mono, as it is on the disc, the second
episode is supposed to be in stereo, but is also only in mono on the A&E discs.

which is another way the episodes aren't complete.

The rest of the episodes on the A&E discs of The Complete Bean are in their
proper stereophonic sound.

As for the completely missing episode, it's titled "Mr. Bean's Attic" or "Mr.
Bean in the Attic". Attic was definitely in the name and this episode was
definitely included in the tv series when originally broadcast here and when
rerun here, but is completely missing from the Complete Bean dvd set,.

 

Wasn't that the episode that was also known as "Refelections of Mr Bean"
that was just made up of clips from the other episodes ?

 

And also, because I have now read that the Mr. Bean tv series was
originally

It might have been aired cropped to 14:9 because the tv companies in the UK
used to do this in the early 90's. 14:9 was choosen as a halfway point
between 4:3 and 16:9 so that they could get people used to seeing black bars
on 4:3 tvs without the bars being to big.

 

Wasn't that the episode that was also known as "Refelections of Mr Bean"

yes, that's the episode I'm talking about. However, I would take a bit of an
issue with "just made up of clips from other episodes".

While clips from other episodes was a majority of the episode, the attic
segments were new.

It would be like releasing "Happy Days" season sets that don't include the
episodes of Happy Days that were mostly made up of clips from other episodes.
But the wrap-around story was new, and did have a plot. or sort of plot.

 

might have been aired cropped to 14:9 because the tv companies in the UK

good post. That's definitely a possibility. Maybe some UK posters got confused
because of that, sort of like some U.S. posters currently get confused by
episodes of shows broadcast in both 4:3 and 16:9 upon original broadcast. (4:3
for analog channels and 16:9 for HDTV channels).

 

No, if any were in widescreen (I don't have my off airs to check) then it
was only the last one or two, but I don't think they were to be honest.

discs.

Don't know about that, but it's perfectly possible that the second episode
was made in mono (1990, isn't it?) and there was just a misprint.

That's just some linking material for a highlights video package originally
released in the UK - http://www.blackstar.co.uk/video/item/7000000040988
Note the 'Includes Special Footage Not Seen On TV'. 'Hair By Mr Bean of
London' was also video-only over here, too, but I think that that is on the
set? Plus the Bus Stop and Library sketches, also video only.

Mark